Tha Raj Hangover

Kasauli – a quaint little hill station near Chandigarh in Northern India, is still in the hangover of the British Raj. Though there are hundreds of buildings and other paraphernalia associated with British rule all over the country, a trip to Kasauli takes one back to a century ago.
Quaint old buildings – churches, the Post Office, letter boxes, roadside taps, the fire hydrants – are all reminders of the days when British aristocracy and senior government officials retreated in this town nestled in the lower Himalayas, at an altitude of 6,322 feet above sea level.
Sadly now, the cool weather seems to have deserted Kasauli even though it is at a height of 6,322 feet above sea level. The huge influx of tourists, who take it upon themselves to literally trample upon the fragile environment, has made sure it was a rather uncomfortable 32 degrees C when we visited in mid-July.
I recall the days when as college students, we visited Kasauli on the weekends and enjoyed the perfect weather even when it was a blistering 45 degrees C in the plains.
That, unfortunately, is the story of any mountain destination anywhere in the country so, perhaps, we have to live with it.